One Of The Foremost Duties Of Citizenship Is To Cast Our Vote: CJI Chandrachud Appears On Doordarshan To Urge Citizens To Vote In Lok Sabha Polls
Amid the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, in a video on Doordarshan National, has emphasized the importance of citizens' participation in the democratic process by casting their votes.
Reflecting on the significance of voting in the world's largest democracy, the CJI underscored that while the Constitution bestows numerous rights upon citizens, it also expects them to fulfil their civic duties.
Highlighting the essence of democracy as "government of the people, by the people, and for the people," Chandrachud urged citizens to recognize their participatory role in electing the government. "As citizens and Indians, we are citizens of the world's largest democracy, which our country is. The Constitution gives us a multitude of rights as citizens, but it also expects that each of us perform the duty which is cast upon us, and one of the foremost duties of citizenship is to cast our vote. In a constitutional democracy, the government is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and we call it that because of the fact that each of us has a participatory role in electing the government," the CJI said.
Recalling personal experiences of excitement and patriotism while casting the first vote, the CJI emphasized the profound sense of pride associated with exercising this fundamental right.
He said, "When I was young and I crossed the age of eligibility to vote, I remember the excitement in my heart that for the first time I would be queuing up at the polling booth and exercising my franchise. Getting that dot on the finger when I voted aroused tremendous feelings of patriotism and association with the nation and me. Sometimes when you have an ink mark on your hand, you're wondering when that ink mark will go away, but this is one ink mark which I never wanted to go away because I felt that I was a proud demonstrator of the fact that, as an Indian citizen having crossed the age of eligibility, I could exercise my vote and had in fact exercised my vote. So the day of the election has always aroused wonderful feelings, the feeling that though I may be one in this big line of people who have come to vote, each of us counts as the same citizen with the same value, so our Constitution and our law provides for one citizen, one vote, and one value. I think that's the great tenacity and the power of our nation as a constitutional democracy."
The CJI stressed the value of each citizen's vote, emphasizing the principle of "one citizen, one vote, one value" enshrined in the Constitution. Reflecting on personal commitments to never miss the opportunity to vote, even amidst professional obligations, the speaker urged fellow citizens to prioritize their duty to vote responsibly.
In closing, Chandrachud appealed to all citizens not to miss the opportunity to contribute to the democratic process by casting their votes with pride and responsibility. Emphasizing that just five minutes every five years can make a significant difference for the nation, the message resonated with the spirit of democratic participation and civic engagement.
"When I became a lawyer and I had to run around in search of work in different places both in Mumbai and outside, I was always worried that I should not be missing that one important day when I have to cast my vote, and I never missed that duty and obligation which is cast on me as an Indian citizen, so likewise, I would request that everyone of you please do not miss this opportunity to vote responsibly as citizens of our great motherland. 5 minutes every 5 years for our nation. It's doable, isn't it? Let's vote with pride, my vote, my voice," he said.